1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the measurement by weight of selected amounts of down typically used in filling certain garments or articles such as clothing, sleeping bags and the like.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Down, or the soft fine feathers from certain birds such as geese, is widely recognized for its excellent insulating characteristics, among other desirable characteristics. Because of its excellent characteristics, down is widely used in filling interior pockets formed in garments such as clothing, sleeping bags, and a wide variety of other articles. As the garments are sewn together, the various pockets formed within the interior of these articles are individually and selectively filled with down and then closed, thereby permanently containing the down within the interior of the garment. The amount of down inserted in each of the pockets is dependent upon the amount of heat insulating characteristics desired at the particular location of the pocket in the garment. A number of methods and apparatus have been devised to determine the amount of down to be inserted in each of the pockets as the garment is manufactured.
One method for determining amounts of down to be used in a garment is that of measuring the down by volume. Down is placed in a volumetric container until a desired volume is obtained. This volume is then inserted in the pocket of the garment. One significant disadvantage of determining amounts of down by volume is that the volume measured is dependent upon the degree of fluffiness or loft of the down. Even by continually fluffing the down, it is difficult to obtain consistent volumetric measurements. Due to this inaccuracy, the preferred procedure is to measure the down by weight.
Measuring down by weight presents some difficulty due to the extreme lightness of the down substance. Typically, the amount of down used to fill each of the individual garment pockets is measured in small numbers of grams or ounces. Certain prior art methods and apparatus for measuring down by weight employ balance beam scales which are counterbalanced by the desired number of gram weights equivalent to the weight of down to be inserted in the garment pocket. Down is then mechanically or manually placed in a container until the scale indicates a balanced condition, and the measured weight of down is then manually removed or mechanically suctioned from the container and inserted into the garment pocket. When this weighing procedure is accomplished manually, it is relatively time consuming, and bacause of its time consumptiveness, the operator typically will not be as accurate in measuring the down as is desired. When the weighing procedure is performed with the aid of mechanical apparatus, the mechanical apparatus does not always respond with sufficient sensitivity to obtain the desired accuracy. Furthermore, with both the manual and mechanical weighing procedures, the number of gram weights counterbalancing the scale must continually be changed since different amounts of down are inserted in different pockets.
Another method and apparatus for measuring down by weight generally involves the concept of electrically sensing down while it is suspended in a moving airstream, and thereafter correlating the sensing signals to the weight of the down suspended in the airstream. This procedure involves relatively complex control and sensing devices, and consequently, is relatively expensive.
In addition, many other disadvantages of prior art methods and apparatus for measuring down by weight are known, but as a result of the present invention, many of these prior art disadvantages can be avoided or overcome and many advantages previously unobtainable in the prior art can be achieved.